The 4th place team left on Saturday, at 11AM; they were in the lead by ~21235 points. The 5th place team made us stay open late when they brought 2 shopping carts worth of items as we were closing down, earning 22166.5 points in 30 minutes.

This year, we had a pre-list that gave your team a multiplier advantage, surprisingly only a couple teams capitalized on this. Our 25th place team only turned in item 2401 from it.

Once again, we printed the list on greenbar tractor feed paper, the text file can be found here.

We also had a floppy disk to join in with the #badgelife craze. We amassed the art from DC18 onward and packed it into an lzma file that barely fit on the disk; you can download that file here. They are in SVG format, though DC18 and DC20 aren’t as optimized as a result of the source material. Because it was an oversight, as we were rushing to fit the content on the floppy, we would like to recognize the artists that made the art included on in the archive.

This year marks the 20th Scavenger Hunt; to mark this special occasion we started working on the list right after DC23.

We even made formal invitations for all the previous winners.

Don’t fret though, we have changed the scoring system since most people played in an effort to level the playing field. Last year, under our new decaying point value system, the third non-local to Las Vegas team (in known scavenger hunt history) won.

As it’s a special year we thought we would bring back something not seen in 10+ years, a pre-con list.

Each of these items will multiply the overall points of your team; now you may think a fraction of a percentage isn’t worth that much, however, the team that won at DC23 did so by only 2 points.

FAQ
Do I need a team?
No, single person teams have placed in the top 5 multiple times. There are typically “your whole team” items which become far easier with a single person team. Having other team members can push through more items faster though.

How do I find a team?
We have seen teams formed on the Defcon Forum, and on reddit. Commonly, teams form at the table with people looking to play.

How big can a team be?
5 people, maximum.

Do I have to do every item?
No, it’s never been done. We encourage you to push and be the first though, you have enough time to make it happen.

How do I/we register a team?
Come to the table, say you want to register a team, and provide a team name. You must have a team name in mind, otherwise we will assign one you are likely not going to enjoy. You get a list and start scavenging all the things.

How do I turn something in?
State you are turning an item in, provide your team name, wait for the judge to pull it up, provide the item number, wait for the judge to pull it up, and then present your item. Doing this out of order or without waiting will result in the judge getting annoyed.

Wait, what’s that about decaying point value?
For the first 18 hunts, scores were static. To combat the judges being bored Friday afternoon until Sunday, with Sunday being painfully busy, we made scores decay. The sooner you turn an item in the more it’s worth. It keeps us happy and you turn things in as you do them.

How long does it take?
A list is released when the scavenger hunt table opens at 10AM Friday morning and all submissions must be in by noon on Sunday. If you want to compete to win, this will take up your Defcon; you can have fun (and entertain the judges) if you only play for part of con though.

What do the winners get?
A box of entertaining and fun things, second gets less quantity, and third gets even less quantity than second. We scavenge throughout the year and at Defcon to make the prizes worthwhile.

It is also important to note that we will be utilizing twitter throughout Defcon so it is worth your while (and potentially even points) to keep an eye on it.https://twitter.com/DefConScavHunt

Also, for the uninitiated, the rules of the Defcon Scavenger Hunt are:
1: the judges are always right, your argument is invalid
2: not our problem
3: make it weird

If you are new to the Defcon Scavenger Hunt, this is not a typical scavenger hunt you would find at a bridal shower or cruise ship. One of the longest running contests at Defcon, the Defcon Scavenger Hunt is over all one of the most fast paced, chaos filled, and mayhem driven contests at Defcon. This year, 160 total items on the list, with 48 hours total to accumulate as many points as possible.

At The Scav Table – photo by ASTcell

Our rules are simple:

The judges are always right and our decision is final. Your argument is invalid.

Not Our Problem

Points are awarded based on item’s corresponding value. Bonus points may be awarded for extreme style and creativity.

When teams sign up to play, we provide them with a printed list [click for the PDF copy] containing items that teams must turn in for points. Some items must be brought to the table, others may be performed. From time to time, an item on the list can be delivered as photographic or video evidence. This year for Defcon Scavenger Hunt, we decided to add an additional challenge for the teams to wrap their heads around. A floppy disk. Where the hell does one find a floppy drive in 2014? Rule number two. On this floppy disk contained several files. This post is a breakdown of the files and how to solve their obfuscations.

Beyond this point are spoilers. If you would like to try these challenges before continuing, download the scavdisk.img here.